Submission to UN Women: International Pattern of Human Rights Violations Against Women

This petition is part of a group petition submitted by Cindy Dumas of Safe Kids International to UN Women’s Communication Procedure, which states:

Any individual, non-governmental organization, group or network may submit communications (complaints/appeals/petitions) to the Commission on the Status of Women containing information relating to alleged violations of human rights that affect the status of women in any country in the world. The Commission on the Status of Women considers such communications as part of its annual programme of work in order to identify emerging trends and patterns of injustice and discriminatory practices against women for purposes of policy formulation and development of strategies for the promotion of gender equality. – See more at:http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/communications-procedure

In 2005, after having given up a career for over 20 yrs, in deference to my husband’s career (banker/ expat employee), I decided to utilize my extensive knowledge of expatriation, travelling, & family relocations (35 yrs. & 8 intl. relocations) to start a website/company that would assist expatriated families around the world – targeting apx 250+ million expat women & children of all nationalities. The business model used is a local search directory (cross btwn www.tripadvisor.com, revenues 2014, $1.25B & www.yelp.com, revenues 2014, $320M), which employ 2-3000 people. Global Expats is projected to create 3-4000 jobs for expat women, in 5 yrs. after upcoming launch of website (9/15). My ex-husband (Javier Gonzalez de Alcala) had never wanted me working outside the home & had actively sought expat positions w/ his employer to this end. He even went so far as to hire someone to hack into & destroy my computers (2006-2008) & paid my webdesigners, www.armina.com, to sabotage my website (disenabling user registration, & uploading & advertising abilities, 2006-08); rendering the platform unusable to this day. Then, in July 2007, my husband told me that if I did not renounce my efforts to create Global Expats he would take my children, all my money, & throw me on the street w/ nothing. His threats escalated to threats upon my life & person (w/ several attempts), as well as continuous threats to incarcerate me in prison or psychiatric facilities. In our divorce decree the judge declared me a ‘drug-addict’ & unfit mother on nothing more than my ex-husband’s accusation, suppressing all & any evidence & testimonies to the contrary – awarding me only supervised visitation. But, since I was obligated to flee Spain, due to the violence & threats, I have not seen, and barely spoken to my children since Feb. 2008. Also, during 2007-12, the courts continually denied me access to ALL my funds & assets in Spain (w/ no money to pay daily living & housing expenses, legal fees related to my defense, or creation of my company). I was made destitute & homeless by the courts, while my ex-husband, w/ salary of ~200,000 euros/yr. & tens of millions in hidden savings (& no expenses – residing w/ parents) was unilaterally, & illegally, absolved of his marital & parental responsibilities & liabilities by judge during 2008. I was then told, by my lawyers, that I would have to “buy my children.” Lawyers & Spanish authorities claim that violations of women’s economic & custodial rights, & preference for patriarchal rights, are the ‘norm’ and ‘custom’ in Spain. Reports & stats by govt. & Amnesty International substantiate their claim. I filed complaints w/ ALL appropriate public authorities, and ALL refused to examine my allegations against implicated parties, w/ the Bar Association of Madrid claiming it the ‘Right’ of Spanish lawyers to violate rights of their clients under the principle of judicial independence. Please note that the defense of the Spanish government in Gonzalez Carreno vs. Spain (CEDAW, 2014) was “inadmissibility due to ‘judicial error’ & a failure to exhaust”. My case clearly demonstrates that the disciplinary process for “judicial error” in Spain is NON-EXISTENT, & nothing but a façade designed to deceive the Spanish people. In fact, not only is the cover-up of domestic violence by Spanish govt extensive & systematic, the fact that they are turning a blind-eye to rampant organized criminal activity by & within Spanish courts, elevates their human rights violations to crimes against humanity (art. 7 of Rome Statutes). In addition to notifying all appropriate Spanish authorities of judicial misconduct, I have repeatedly solicited the assistance from my Consulates in Madrid (American & French). Instead of assisting me as requested, & as is their obligation under American/French, & international law, they are turning a blind eye to the situation – rendering the American & French governments complicit to the crimes of Spanish judicial actors & Spanish govt. Unless Spain launches an investigation into the crimes committed by my legal counsel & presiding judges, I will be forced to continue w/in the intl courts seeking full damages cause by the negligence of the Spanish government in lost revenue to my company (& personal patrimony) in the past 8 years.

I have done extensive intersectional research on the women’s rights, human rights, and domestic violence movements of the past 50 years, and what my research has shown is that the failure of those movements to develop a cohesive, comprehensive approach to promoting & defending women’s rights (particularly private rights) has left a void, which male supremacist groups (under the guise of father’s rights) have been at total liberty to develop & promote gender bias ideologies & policies into family courts which discriminate and oppress women in the society. The REFUSAL of governments to assure integrity, governance, transparency, and accountability in their courts (as I demonstrate in my case) is at the root cause of the problems within the courts – elevating these human rights violations to crimes against humanity. Listed below are my reports, blogs and case work: